SEE LONDON THROUGH THE EYES OF 007

Ian Fleming’s 007 left his mark on the British capital, from clothes to cars

If you go

•British Airways offers daily nonstop service to London from San Diego:
www.ba.com

•www.visitbritain.com/en/US

•www.visitengland.com

•britmovietours.com/bookings/spy-movie-london-tour

•www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/bond-in-motion

As I headed to London on a conveniently nonstop British Airways flight from Lindbergh to Heathrow, sipping chardonnay (instead of a martini), I watched the in-flight film of my choice, “Dr. No.” That was the first Bond film — debuted in 1962 — in which Sean Connery famously introduced himself as the suave, handsome, fearless, heroic main character: “The name’s Bond, James Bond.”

And Bond is now the longest-running movie franchise in history, celebrating 50 years with the recent opening of “Skyfall,” the 23rd film.

In honor of this film milestone, I decided to tour Bond-related sites in and around London, where the fictional character of James Bond especially comes alive — from clothes to cars to champagne.

Bond creator Ian Fleming, a world traveler who appreciated the finest things in life, wrote the first book, “Casino Royale,” in 1952 when he was 43. Its famous first line hooked readers: “The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.” Fleming penned 13 more Bond novels before he died in 1964 at age 56.

A former newspaper correspondent, Fleming, who had worked in naval intelligence and espionage during World War II, introduced the world to fast cars, high-tech gadgets, exquisite cuisine, martinis (shaken, not stirred), gambling and glamour.

As Fleming had told a friend in 1944, “I’m going to write the spy story to end all spy stories.”

And he did just that. Besides Bond, there are the famed characters Miss Moneypenny, Q, M — and the glamorous Bond Girls.

I began my tour in the “Footsteps of Fleming,” popping into the haberdashery Turnbull & Asser (in business since 1885), which has made custom, expensive shirts (about $350 each) not only for Fleming, but for all the Bond actors — as well as for celebrities, royals and politicians.

I also visited the nearby perfumery Floris, which has been in business since 1730, longer than our country has. Fleming was a fan of fragrance No. 89, which he featured in his book, “Doctor No.”

A short walk away is Dukes Hotel bar, Fleming’s watering hole, where the term “shaken, not stirred” was reportedly first coined. As I sampled the signature Vesper Martini, I almost felt like a Bond Girl.

And then there are the film sites, which can be visited with a London tourist map — or on a guided three-hour “James Bond Bus Tour of London” (“Step into the dangerous world of 007”) by Brit Movie Tours.

With guide Akin Gazi, our group of a dozen was escorted on a minibus through the crowded streets of London. As film clips of Bond movies showed on a small screen, Gazi regaled us with Bond trivia.

“The interest in Bond is at an all-time high,” he said. “Ian wanted to create a super spy. Bond did life on the wild side.”

With cameras in hand, we hopped off to see various Bond film locations, including the MI6 Building, Somerset House, the 02 Arena, the National Gallery, Tobacco Dock, and Greenwich. We drove past the front exterior of Buckingham Palace, where the villain in “Die Another Day” parachuted. I’m sure that fans fondly recall Daniel Craig escorting a game (and apparent Bond fan) Queen Elizabeth II from here to last summer’s Olympics’ opening ceremony, as her beloved corgis looked on.

“Wasn’t that marvelous? It was a brilliant idea,” observed Sir Roger Moore (who has written a new book, “Bond on Bond”), when I heard him speak at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Until Jan. 5, 2014, the largest collection of original Bond vehicles is on display at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum in Hampshire. They include two motorbikes and a Land Rover used in “Skyfall.”